


Always & Forever

by allielee2014



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Father/Son, Rumbelle - Freeform, Swanfire - Freeform, papafire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 13:04:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5206937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allielee2014/pseuds/allielee2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate s4 from "Heroes & Villains" on. Written for annievh on tumblr for Nealfire gift exchange. Her prompt was a rewrite of anything in s4.</p>
<p>After Belle banishes Rumple from Storybrooke, Neal has to do something. He just got him back and they were finally making a dent in rebuilding their broken relationship, there was no way he would let his father's fate be sealed so easily.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AnnieVH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieVH/gifts).



> This was written for annievh on tumblr for the Nealfire exchange. She promoted to rewrite anything from the fourth season. This is what came of it.  
> I am really sorry it took this long to post, I hope you enjoy it and it's worth it!

"Don't cry, Belle, there has to be an explanation for it." Neal attempted to soothe his stepmother. 

"What explanation could he possibly have!? He's done bad in the past, I know, however there is no excuse for this!" Belle felt a tear trickle down her face, and lowered her eyes, and she watched as her tear fell on the dagger. Her hands grasped it tight, and she didn't know what to do. 

" I don't know what it is, I don't mess with magic." Neal threw his arms in the air, more out of habit than anything else. "What I do know is that Papa loves you, more than anything and-"

"More than anything," Belle scoffed, and rolled her eyes,"anything other than his bloody knife!" Before he could stop her, Neal watched as Belle threw the dagger across the room. It crashed on the floor, and the horrid clang of metal colliding with wood rang out. 

"That gauntlet is special, Belle!" Neal tried to reason in protest, "maybe there is more to it you're not catching?" 

"No... Rumple told me that that ...thing," she pointed to the gauntlet that sat on a table beside the armchair Neal had been sitting in. She forced herself to swallow over the big lump in her throat, "it leads someone to the thing someone loves most." 

Neal bit his lip and shook his head slightly, he didn't know what to say. "Well..." He ventured, "you called me over here, what do you want to do?" He tried to sound empathetic, but he knew he probably had failed. "Are you going to summon him or-"

"No!" Belle cut off with a hiss, "There's no telling what he could be up to."

"Up to? Whoa now, Belle, you're getting a little hasty there. I think you might want to slow down just a bit. Why is he suddenly "up to something?" His eyes asked more than he could ever verbalize, but she was very vague to answer.

"He's been sneaking around a lot lately, and kind of strange. His words have sounded almost robotic and he doesn't come home until really late. He doesn't want me around doing things with him, or dropping by his shop unannounced. I don't know it's... Just not like him."

"The darkness turned the most loving and gentle man into a manipulative monster." Again, Neal just shook his head sadly.

"He's not a... A monster, he's just... Dark." Belle forced the sentence out, and it took all of her energy to do so. Her heart had broken inside and at the surface level, she was repulsed by Rumple, but she did love him.  
He was her husband. 

Neal leaned forward, and grabbed one of Belle's hands in his own. "How about we find him and talk to him, okay? I'm certain this will make a whole lot more sense after he explains it." Neal assisted Belle to her feet and, hardly having allowed her time to steady herself, wrapped her in a bear hug. "It's going to be okay, Belle. My dad has his bad side, but he does love you." 

It had only taken about fifteen minutes before Belle and Neal had discovered what Rumple was up to. Belle say in the passenger seat of the caddie, rigid and willing herself not to speak. If she spoke, she feared she wouldn't have the ability to appear strong when she faced Rumple. 

Neal drove, silent. He really needed to get around to getting his own car. He had lived in Storybrooke for over a year, and he still either walked everywhere or borrowed the cars of his girlfriend and father. It was a small town, granted, but he really needed his own. He glanced at his stepmother, and wanted to make her feel better, he knew he couldn't. Neal felt his grasp tighten on the steering wheel, his father had better have a good explanation for all of this. 

Finally, after what was actually only five minutes, Neal pushed the gearshift into park. They were here, at the clock tower. Before he could say anything to her, Belle had slammed the car door and headed toward the entrance of the tower. In a second, Neal was closely behind. 

Oh great. Neal took a deep breath after he entered the clocktower. Emma and her parents were frozen in place, his father's magic no doubt, his father had a heart in his hand, and the pirate appeared to be doubled over in pain. In addition there was a weird purple sparkly thing opened and in a particular spot... There was no question that Rumple was up to something especially bad this time.

"Papa!" Neal yelled, but saw the look in his father's eyes. He knew immediately- Rumple was under the dagger's control. The next thing Neal heard confirmed it.

"Drop the heart!" The voice Belle used was more stern than any Neal had ever heard from her before. 

The rest of the conversation was Neal didn't hear that well until the end, when he reached where Belle and his father stood.

"Take us to the town line, we need to be alone for what comes next." 

"No." Neal interjected, the spell hadn't yet gotten removed after the ice wall came down. Anyone who crossed would never come back to Storybrooke. Belle was mad, and had a history of making impulsive choices. "Don't go to the town line! Please! Belle, how about we go back to the shop or your house. The town line is very dangerous-"

"I know." Belle bit her lip, and fought a failed attempt to hold back tears. 

"Papa, don't listen to her! Go to the shop!" Neal knew that his statement didn't make sense, he knew the dagger's power controlled his father, but he just wanted to get them away from the bloody town line. Nothing good ever happened at the town line.

"I can't!" Rumple looked tense, scared. 

Before Neal could say anything else, both Rumple and Belle were gone in a poof of purple dust. He didn't know what was going on in Belle's mind, but she knew the curse over the town line. He couldn't think of any reason she'd want to go there except- no, Belle loved his father. She wouldn't actually be able to banish him- but then why- Neal made a mad dash for the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

When he got to the town line, Neal was panting and winded. He scanned the area for Belle or Rumple. Belle was no where to be found, but he saw his father. 

Neal timidly stepped closer to the line, "papa", he whispered. He knew Rumple didn't hear him. His father was over the town line, curled up, and wailing. She had actually done it. Neal couldn't truly believe it. She had banished his father. As much as Rumple had hurt him in the past, as much as Neal loved Belle, he had the strongest urge to go find Belle and scream at her. Fury filled Neal that instant. How could she? This was the most selfish thing Belle had ever done, cruel, unnecessary. His father would never be allowed back. For that, Neal would never forgive her. She had hurt Rumple, she had hurt him, and most importantly, she had hurt Henry.

Skeptically, Neal extended his arm over the town line, followed by the top of his head. "Papa,"

At the sound of his son's voice, Rumple raised his head, "Bae!" Rumple wiped at his eyes, and crawled closer to the invisible line.

It truly hurt Neal in his heart to watch the scene before him, his father crawl before him on the ground with his lame leg dragging. 

"Y-you came for me?" Rumple allowed a weak smile to form across his lips. "H-H-how'd you know?"

Neal gritted his teeth, and peered down at his father, and grasped onto his hand. "Of course. I love you, Papa." It was his turn to smile now, Neal was so happy he had been able to rebuild his relationship with Rumple. "Can you stand up if I get you there? Where's your cane?" 

"It's at our house. I haven't used that thing in a long time, I can't stand without it."

Neal glanced at Rumple again, "Come on," he tried to position his arms beneath Rumple's axillary region, and was surprised when he fought him and pulled back.

"Papa, what are-"

"You can't get me up, Son, my leg is too bad. Plus, I don't want to risk you stepping over too."

"I wouldn't do-"

"Half of your body just about crossed, Bae!" Rumple sighed, "you have a son, a woman who loves you, don't risk tripping over that line and never being able to see them again." 

Neal wasn't going to protest, he knew Rumple was probably right. He hadn't paid much attention to how far he had gone over, if his other leg would've lost it's balance or anything went wrong, he would've been trapped outside of Storybrooke. 

"Don't worry about me." Rumple tried to keep his voice steady, "I'll be okay." 

"You're not going anywhere." Neal felt his voice start to shake, "I'm going to-" 

Suddenly Neal felt his phone begin to vibrate, and his ringtone rang dutifully. Neal looked down to read the caller ID, "it's Belle."

Rumple's face took on a new look of sadness and fear mixed, and Neal answered.

"Hey Belle... Okay... It's okay... I'll be there in a minute." 

Rumple's eyes pled Neal to tell him everything, but the conversation sounded urgent.

"What's wrong? Is Belle alright? Is she safe" Rumple rushed, he feared the answer.

"Yeah, Belle is fine." Neal answered quickly, a little puzzled, and watched as a great deal of anxiety fled Rumple's features and the tension dropped in his shoulders. "She's upset, she doesn't know I know about..." He gestured toward Rumple and the outside world, "about this. She's crying and upset, and wants me to get home right away." 

"Tell her that I am truly sorry for what I was doing, I had my reasons."

"You always have your reasons." Neal mumbled, even though he had forgiven Rumple for the wrongdoings of his past, he could never fully support his father's ways and methods.

Rumple looked quite melancholy, "just tell her I love her, and I never meant to hurt her."

Neal nodded, "I need to get going, but stay here. I'll be back with your cane in a bit." Once again, Neal reached out and squeezed his father's hand. 

"I love you, Bae, and I'm very proud of the man that you are." Rumple nodded to no one in particular, and bit his lip. "I'll call." 

"You aren't calling from anywhere." Neal half laughed, then gave a little wink, "I'm going to find a way to get you back here."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

As he walked up the sidewalk to the house he shared with his father and Belle, the anger within Neal boiled to the surface. This was Belle's doing, what had she been thinking? She was supposed to love his dad, unconditionally, and she had banished him? What was it Rumple had told him before he began his way home? That's right, the gauntlet leads people to someone's greatest weakness... Not what they most love." 

He slammed the door after he entered the house, and briskly made his way up the stairs to the bedroom he knew Belle would be in.

"Neal you're home!" Belle pulled herself off the bed and seemed to have to force herself to the door way to fling herself on Neal. 

Neal hugged Belle, and supported her weight against him until she had settled down somewhat. Then he directed her to the bed and got her to sit down.

"I didn't mean to!" Belle lamented, unwilling to let go of Neal. 

He had tried, but he couldn't hold back any longer. "You didn't mean to!?"

Belle looked up at him, confused, and offset after the fury filled his voice. He kept going, and paced about the room, and made hand gestures as he spoke.

"You didn't mean to!?" He repeated, "Belle, YOU BANISHED MY DAD OUT OF HIS HOME FOREVER! Now he's all alone out there, without me, without his grandson, without you! You know he cares for you and is in love with you Belle, he would do anything for you- he gave his life for us when he killed Pan! Are you seriously questioning his love? Don't you think you went too far- you didn't even give him his cane- you know he can't even walk without magic-" 

"I KNOW!" Belle screamed back, "I LOVE HIM TOO AND I WISH I COULD CHANGE WHAT I DID!" 

Her words made Neal listen. He forced his emotions to settle back into place, "why'd you do it?"

"I was mad! I was scared, not for me, for the town. He would've killed Killian, you know that as do I. I don't know what his plan was, but it didn't look good, and the effects would've been devastating."

"Why kick him out? Why not talk to him?" Neal countered, Rumple did bad, but Neal would always fight for his father now.

"I had the dagger, it was a quick fix, I don't know. It seemed like the best option at the... The t-time." A fresh stream of tears rolled down her cheeks, and she flung herself into the bed. 

"Hey," he was mad, but he cared for Belle, and lifted her body off the bed and pulled her close to him again.

"Why are you so... Split personality right now?" Belle asked, very confused by his sudden gentleness again.

"I'm mad at you, Belle, very much. You kicked my father out of town, knowing he could never come back, I am furious at you." Neal took a deep breath, feeling his pulse start to rise again, "but you're my dad's true love, and the closest thing I've ever had to a mom, I love you too Belle. I know you're hurting."

"I just didn't want anyone getting hurt." She sniffles into his shirt, "I figured, I'd be the only one hurt this way... Everyone else would be happier and safer."

Neal just kept her close to him, and gently ran his hand over her head. 

"He probably hates me!"

"Belle, my father could never hate you. My dad loves you so much, you don't even know." 

After another twenty or so minutes, each of them had finally calmed down enough to speak clearly. 

"Thank you,Neal ." Belle murmured, her hands busy as they poured the tea from the teapot.

"Yore welcome." Neal reluctantly rose to his feet, and sauntered to the rack where Belle kept her umbrella, Rumple's cane was behind it. "I'm going to take this to my dad." He swung the cane around in his hand. "I told him to stay where he was until I came back?"

"What?"

"I was at the town line before you called, I knew what you had done, and I went there as soon as you two proofed there. Anyways, I told him I'd brig him his cane so he could at least walk." 

As he made his way to the town line, Neal questioned his choice of words he had used with Belle. Had he been too harsh on her, too mean? He hadn't really been that nice, that was for sure. He hoped that through all the tears and yells that had came from both of their mouths that she wouldn't get too upset over it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Once he arrived at his destination, Neal was careful not to push too much of his body over, Rumple would not want him to be too risky about his own security.

"Papa?" Neal looked around. There was no sign of Rumple anywhere. "Papa!?" He called out again, and tried to scan as far as his eyes could see. Where has he gone? He had specifically told him to stay where he was? How had he even gotten anywhere? There were so many questions that rolled through his mind, but there was only one thing that stood out above all others at the time- Find Papa. Without taking a second thought, Neal began to run as fast as he could toward home.

"How is he?" Belle asked as soon as Neal walked through the door.

"Gone." His voice was stern, "Belle where are the keys to your library?" 

"Gone? Wh-what's that mean? Is he...?" She couldn't even finish her sentence, and her eyes welled up again. Finally, Neal realized what she had thought he meant. 

"Oh not like that! No, I don't know where he is. I told him to stay where he was, and when I got there, he was nowhere around."

"Where could he have gone? Do you think he's okay?"

"I don't know." Neal answered, a pang of fear shot through his heart. "Where are the keys?" 

"Here, why?" Belle withdrew the keyring from the pocket in her skirt. 

"If I learned one thing about magic, it's that there's always a loophole." Neal grabbed the keys from Belle, and stormed out the door again, this time with Belle at his heels. 

"What should I be looking for?" Belle asked.

"I don't know, probably some type of spell book... It's a severe type of protection spell." He thought for a bit, trying to remember anything that any of these magic-savvy residents may have said. "I don't like magic, I never have." Neal mumbled, and selected a book from a near stack. "I'll start with this one, I guess." 

About three hours had passed, and Neal and Belle were both busy reading through different spell books.

"Any luck?" Belle asked, desperate for conversation, and attempting to fight off the guilt she felt deep within. 

"If I'd found something, you'd know." Neal grumbled in response, fully concentrated on his research.

There were another few moments of quietness, then Belle broke it again in a rush of anger, "this is all my fault!" She slammed the book closed and shoved it to the side, dust flew everywhere.

Neal remained quiet, he wasn't about to tell her it wasn't, he didn't want to upset her more though. 

"We'll find something eventually Be-" Neal hesitated a second, he had had something on his mind for a long time now, he figured this would be a good time to ask. At the very least, it would take Belle's mind off the problem at hand. "Would you mind if I started calling you 'Mom'?" 

Belle was taken off guard, and gazed at him with doe eyes, and blinked her lashes, she gave him her full attention as she tilted her head in his direction.

"It's just that, well, I grew up without a mom, you know. In this world I'm around thirty, but I was stuck on Neverland for a long time and spent some time in other worlds too and-" Neal realized he was rambling, so he got to the point, "and I've never had anyone I've looked at like a mom- the people who fostered me were all just places to stay until I bounced around again- except you. I care about you and-"

"The title would be an honor." Belle gleamed brightly, the first time Neal had seen her smile all day. Her eyes drifted back to the book in front of her, and the smile faded, "I just... I don't know if I deserve it."

"Of course you do." Neal followed Belle's eyes, and knew what she was thinking. "You love him." Neal changed his approach, he had been mad at her, and was presently too, but right now Belle needed someone. "Sometimes Papa is a hard one to love, it's not him that does all the bad things, though. It's the darkness inside. I never understood that as a kid, I probably don't understand it completely now. He is a good man though, I remember that part of him, and I wish you could've too. It's hard to watch someone you love struggle and not have the capability to do anything about it. We can get mad; we have the right to, we love him though."

Belle nodded, the smile that Neal had painted on his face had cheered her up some.

"I know that what you did was extreme and in anger and that you wish you'd never done it. You can't hold on to regret." Neal reached his arm across the table and squeezed Belle's hand, and watched a weak smile crease her lips.

"Thank you." She barely managed to say, and nodded her head. "I just hope he's okay." She nodded and bit her bottom lip.

Neal felt his leg begin to shake, and he knew he couldn't push down the anxiety he felt very much longer. He had been able to comfort his stepmother, and he had searched for a loop hole in these books, but he was truly concerned about the wellbeing of his father. Rumple was in the real world- crippled, alone, and without money. He wouldn't make it far, he had to go after him.

"I'm going to trust that you'll find the loophole, I know you. You're smart, you'll find it. When you do, Papa and I will come back. For now though, I need to go."

"Go where?" Belle was offended that Neal would even think of abandoning her at a time like this.

"Find my papa." Neal answered quickly.

"What if I-I don't find anything?" Belle had to force the sentence out, and almost choked on it.

"I'll rent the two of us a hotel until you do. You don't understand this world, he can't stay out there alone... I need to find him. Don't worry, you'll find what we need, I believe in you."

Belle got up and threw herself at Neal again, and clung to him fiercely, "be careful. Call me when you find him, and please let him know how sorry I am and that I love him."

It looked as though Belle could start to cry again at any moment, "I will." He broke the embrace and nodded down at her, "don't beat yourself up too hard, Mom, everything is going to be okay."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

It felt strange, almost like it was a power rush, and exhilarating to press the gas pedal to the floor of the caddie, and drive over that red line. Neal was on a mission, and he wasn't going to rest until he found Rumple. It was getting late, it was already dark, Neal was sure Emma and Henry were getting ready for school in the morning right about now. He probably should've told them but-

His phone started to ring and buzz in the cup holder. Neal looked down, Emma's face stared back up at him. Was she a mind reader? He rushed to pick up his phone and answer it. 

"Hi... Babe, I'm okay... I know I'm not home... Yes I'm fine... I'm in the car... I'm going somewhere... No I'm not going to be home soon, I might not get home for awhile... I'm on my way to New York." Neal had to fight a giggle, he could only imagine what was going through Emma's mind, though her screaming at him over the phone didn't leave much to his imagination. "I know, I know I should've told you." Neal heard his voice raise, "listen, Belle kicked my dad out of town- yes over the town line- why else would I have gone over myself!... How else would I get to New York without going over!? I know it's cursed. Listen, Em, go to Belle. She can tell you everything. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, and I'll be back before you know it... I love you too, and tell Henry I love him. Alright, goodnight." 

After the phone call with Emma, Neal turned the radio on. It would be a long and lonely trip, he needed something to keep him awake and from not going insane. He had traveled more than a half hour outside of Storybrooke, and had seen nothing of Rumple. If he had left the area around the town line, there would be only one other place he would have gone. Neal checked the time, ten at night. He would've had plenty of time. Neal pressed the gas harder, tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and locked his focused stare in front of him. 

Neal rubbed at his eyes, it was going on 3 AM. Another look at the clock revealed that he had about another hour and a half before he'd arrive. He allowed a yawn to escape his mouth, and was thankful he knew exactly where his father would go. 

It was odd, almost eerie, as Neal made his way up the dirty sidewalks of Manhattan. It was quiet, or at least too quiet for New York, and he knew that this wasn't the best area of town. He had lived here because it was cheap, he could get from work and back quickly, and he would basically just work and go home. The stench of garbage in the alleyways drifted into his nostrils, he didn't miss that. He really didn't miss any of this. This wasn't home. 

He knew it seemed a bit suspicious to be wandering upstairs in the apartment in the middle of the night, and if any of the guards did their jobs right he could've gotten into a sticky situation, he went straight to his old apartment.

When he turned they knob, the door was tightly locked. No surprise there, he hadn't learned misanthropic and mistrusting ways on his own. He wouldn't knock, it would terrify his father. Knowing they had the same blood running through their veins, Neal had expected this to be the case. He smiled and released a low chuckle, and pulled a paper clip out of his pocket. Prior to leaving Belle to her research, Neal had stolen a paper clip from the jar on the circulation desk. 

After a few minutes, the door was opened. Neal was proud of himself, even after all those years, he had it in him. He strode in the apartment cockily. It was dark, but the place hadn't lost its dull and dingy atmosphere. 

"Wh-who's there?" Neal heard his father call from the other room. He sounded utterly terrified. "I... I don't have but a few dollars, but you can have it.. Or anything you want I just, please don't hurt-"

It hurt to listen to his father plead with a nonexistent intruded, and to hear his wobbling and unsteadiness. 

"Don't worry, Papa, it's just me." Neal answered, and watched as Rumple wobbled his way into the front room.

"Bae, I don't-" Even before Rumple could finish his sentence, Neal had rushed to his father and engulfed him in a big hug. 

"Why did you do this, Papa?" Neal cried, burrowing his head into his father's shoulder. "I told you to stay at the town line. When I came back, you were gone!" Neal pulled back and looked down on his father, his hands firmly planted on Rumple's shoulders. "Do you know how worried I was? Why didn't you wait?" His voice had traveled from gleeful to be with Rumple again, to stern and accusatory in seconds.

"I didn't think you'd..." Rumple turned his head to the floor. Neal knew how this sentence would end, and didn't want to hear Rumple say it.

"Of course I came back." His tone was back to being soft and almost shy, "you're my papa." 

Through the moonlight that shine through the window, Neal was sure he saw tears welling in Rumple's eyes. 

"What about Henry? Emma?" Rumple asked, "you crossed that line, you can't ever go back." Realization of what he had just said processed in Rumple's mind, and he suddenly got very worried. "Oh Bae, you didn't!? You have people who need you- your son, your girlfriend- you didn't give them up for-"

"You need me too." Neal firmly said.

"I do." Rumple couldn't fight him on that much, "but the boy needs his father. Bae, you spent a lot of your life without me, you should know how much it hurts. Why would you ever give him up?" Rumple couldn't hide the guilt and agony in his voice. The next words out of his mouth were more of a bellow, "I ruined Belle's life, my life, and now yours, Emma's, and my own grandson's."

Neal had to tell him. He had planned on surprising him when he took him home, but Rumple needed to know this now. 

"Papa, after I went home, Belle was a mess. She really regrets what she did, you know she's impulsive."

Rumple nodded, a meek smile at the memory, "she did agree to go with me forever in a matter of seconds."

"Yeah, and go on a quest with Mulan after crashing her hunt."

An awkwardness hung in the air, and Neal broke it, "anyways, Belle and I were looking for a loophole for about four hours before I went to find you. She does love you, she's sorry, and she wants you home." 

"I was trying to kill the pirate so I could cleave myself of the dagger..." Rumple confessed, "I know I'm not worthy of either of you and I'm really sorry, but I just HAVE to be free!" Rumple was near hysterics. 

"We love you, and forgive you. But... You might want to tell that to Belle." Neal realized his pitch had gone up a couple octaves as he recalled the conversation with Belle about the gauntlet hat had gotten them in this mess in the first place. 

"What?"

"It's a long story." Neal brushed it off, and yawned. He went in to give Rumple another hug, he knew he needed one, and then turned toward the couch. It was almost 5:15 in the morning, he'd been up 21 hours, he needed sleep. 

Rumple grabbed his wrist, and Neal glanced at him through sleepy eyes. 

"Don't... I mean, it's your apartment. You've had a long night, and that's a king sized bed.... We can share it."

"Oh, Papa, I don't think that's necessary."

"It'll be like you were when you were a boy." Rumple's eyes sparkled with nostalgia and hope, "just humor an old man?" 

Neal cracked a smile, "oh, alright."

Once he got settled into bed, it was clear to Neal that Rumple just wanted to keep talking. 

"Go to sleep, Papa." Neal found it crazy how many he had said this.

"Do you remember," Rumple started on with another story, "when you were frightened when that chicken got in our home in the dead of night?"

Neal laughed, he actually did remember. 

"You wouldn't get out of bed. This was before I built you your own, you were a wee thing-6 or 7. You clung to me and were crying because it scared you so." Rumple chuckled nostalgically. "I remember, I got up in the middle of the night and lit a candle. I made you get out of bed and come over to that chicken, you were so mad at me, and I told you that so long as you are nice to it and respect it, the chicken would never hurt you." Rumple glanced at Neal to make sure he was actively listening, "then I patted it's feathers, and so did you."

"I remember that." Neal didn't know what else to say, "we were so close when I was that age."

"We had to be. Baelfire, you are and always have been my life. I wanted to make sure you were strong and happy, and I didn't want you to grow up to be a coward. That's all my father ever was, and all I am ever going to be."

"That's not true." Neal countered, "I remember being curled up at your side that night and thinking 'wow, my papa is the bravest man who ever was'." Neal watched a smile toy at Rumple's lips. "Then I watched you die for me, for Henry, for Emma, for Belle, for everyone. You're not a coward."

This kind of talk always made Rumple bashful and nervous, Neal was sure it was because he didn't truly believe it himself. People could say all the nice things they want about another, it doesn't mean a thing unless the person believes it. "Goodnight, I love you, Son."

"I love you too, Papa."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

When Neal awoke, a bird screamed outside the window. Why did birds always feel the need to ruin a good sleeping morning with yelling? The sounds of New York were already bad enough.

Neal threw the pillow over his head, and noted that Rumple had already arisen. He would've stayed in bed much longer, but the smell of- well something- made him drag his butt out of bed to go check in the kitchen.

"Papa, what are you doing?" Neal exclaimed. He rushed to the stove to turn it down. Lowering his eyes to the frying pan, he couldn't resist a grin. "You were attempting to make breakfast, I see?" he peeled a charred piece of bacon off the pan, and stared at it in disgust. His eyes trailed from the severely burnt "food" to his father, who stood to the side of him and gave a shrug of the shoulder and a forced smile. 

"It's been awhile since I've cooked." This was all Rumple could say, with an ever so slight laugh.

"Belle does the cooking, I take it?"

"Or the magic."

"You really need to relax on the magic, you know how much you depend on it." Neal playfully shooed Rumple away from the stove, "now move over, I'll make us something... Well, eatable." 

Rumple rolled his eyes, and moved to sit down in the reclining chair in the front room. The walking stick Rumple had somehow managed to find at the edge of the town line had severed him, Neal almost had to question if there had been some residual magic left in his father that had made him that new "cane". Why did it matter, though, he was very lucky to have been able to find it.

After he cleaned up the mess Rumple had made, Neal pulled found some oatmeal that had been kept in the food cupboard. It wasn't much, but it was something. And they would actually be able to eat it. 

Neal brought the bowl of oatmeal to his father in the recliner, then served his own bowl and joined Rumple in his living room. It had been awhile since he had sat on this old and beaten couch, but it was just as worn and fitted to his body as the day he had left.

"So," Neal began the conversation, "I was thinking that today we would call Belle." He observed that Rumple looked a little peaked, but attributed it to his sudden lack of magic. 

"N-no I don't think that's a good idea." Rumple protested, and Neal wasn't quite sure why.

"Belle has apologized, and she truly is in agony over what she did. At least call her, she might not have even found the spell yet."

"It's not that." Rumple sounded firm, "I deserved what I got, I know it. I just don't feel very well right now, I think I might just stay here today." It wasn't like Rumple to just have such a blasé attitude about the prospect of going home and to be able to see Belle. "Maybe I'll just rest today and we can go back tomorrow?" Rumple almost sounded as though he were pleading.

"Alright..." Neal agreed, an eyebrow raised. He took another look at Rumple, "Papa, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, of course. It's just a little withdrawal from the power, probably." He sat his bowl on the end table beside the chair, it was only eaten about halfway, "I'm not much hungry anymore, thank you though." 

"It's okay, I think it's safe to say my oatmeal abilities are few." He picked up both their bowls and went to the kitchen. Doing the dishes made him homesick. Normally he would do the dishes while Emma cleaned the kitchen after each meal. Many might criticize Neal for doing what most people in the Enchanted Forrest would call "women's work", but Neal enjoyed doing dishes. They were a stress relief for him, if the truth was known, a way for him to think while his hands were busy at a mindless activity.

"I'm going to go take a shower, if you don't mind." Neal poked his head around the wall that separates kitchen from living room. "I should only be a few minutes." 

"Okay, it's your home." Rumple answered, his eyes scanned a newspaper from months ago, he had probably found it near the chair. 

This isn't home. Neal thought as he stepped inside the bathroom. This had never been home. He turned the water on to the hottest it would reach to prepare for the shower. Home was the place where you always felt love, where you knew you were safe, where you never had to be what you're not, where you're accepted. Home was a place where, when you leave, you just miss it. He had never missed New York. Over time, Neal had learned that home wasn't a place, but rather people. It had taken him lifetimes, but Neal had finally found his home. His home was with Emma and Henry and-

Just as Neal grabbed the edge of shirt to pull it over his head, he heard a loud crash, followed by the sound of something shattering. Instinctively, Neal reached to turn off the running water and shouted, "Papa!" No answer, "PAPA!" When there was no answer a second time, Neal felt his blood go cold, and he knew. 

The rush to the front room took no more than ten seconds. When he got there, Neal noticed the broken lamp and side table, but his attention was focused on his father that lay in the middle of the floor. "No..." He rushed to Rumple's side, and felt around his carotid artery. With his free hand, Neal withdrew his cell phone and called for an ambulance. In tandem to giving the dispatcher their location Neal, having not felt any pulse on Rumple's neck, positioned his body and interlocked his hands.

Neal had taken a CPR class years ago as part of some job he had been doing, but he'd never had to put his training to practice. Now, he desperately delivered firm downward thrusts into Rumple's chest, careful to keep his shoulders straight and in the proper stance. "Come on, Papa." He pushed down again, and felt the sting of a tear leave his eye, "not now... Come on." The wail of the ambulance sounded in the distance. It had been less than three minutes since he had called.

About a minute after he had first heard the sirens, Neal was pushed towards the back of the room while a team of medics surrounded Rumple. 

Neal wasn't into medicine or anything, but the situation did not look good. The medics were loading Rumple onto a gurney, another medic on top continuing the CPR. Soon, four of them took off toward the ambulance, and Neal followed behind.

The paramedics wouldn't allow Neal to ride in the ambulance with them, but they directed him to the hospital they would transfer Rumple to.

As Neal watched the ambulance tear out of the parking spot and down the road, he was certain that it was one of the most terrifying moments of his life. He made a mad dash for the caddie, and sped off in the direction the ambulance had gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Once he was behind the wheel, Neal lost it. He drove too fast, though he didn't care, turned too sharp, cut off other drivers, and let off all his feelings. 

A yellow traffic light turned straight to red, and Neal had to slam on his breaks. "Come on!" His right hand made an exasperated flourish. "I need to get to the hospital!" His heart ached, his stomach dropped, his eyes welled, and he ended up looking upward. "Not now, not my papa." His voice was more that of a scared child than a grown man. "Please. Belle needs to apologize, Henry needs both his grandpas." Finally, Neal added what his hear cried louder than anything. "I... I just can't lose my papa." He felt his belly bounce from the hysterics, and wiped at his eyes, the traffic light turned green, and Neal floored it.

Neal was able to catch up to the ambulance, and make it into the hospital with them, due to the fact he took quite a bit of liberty in making his own parking spot. 

He understood the urgency of his father's situation and why the medical personnel were so crass with him and wouldn't allow him to go any further, he could only watch as a team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics wheeled Rumple behind a sudden corner and out of his line of vision. Neal practically collapsed in a chair, and supported his head in his hands. How did this happen? Why? Rumple had made his mistakes and- he was a work in progress. Neal realized he couldn't say his father had changed, if he had, they wouldn't have been in New York at all. He wanted to do better, Neal knew that. If getting close to his father again hadn't done anything to convince him otherwise, then sleeping in the same bed last night certainly had. 

It had been centuries, but Neal remembered how it felt as a boy. He remembered when he used to have to share a bed with his papa because they didn't have the supplies or the money to make him his own. He remembered how safe he felt as a boy when he could just curl up to his father at night, and know nothing would ever hurt him. He remembered how hard Rumple had worked to try to make sure he had a decent life. More than anything, he remembered the way he and Rumple used to talk, he missed it. 

Neal waited for about an hour, but it seemed much longer, when a doctor came out to the waiting room. "Cassidy." The doctor called in a gruff voice. 

"That's me." Neal got to his feet, and went to greet the doctor. "How is he?" Neal blurted, and hopelessly searched the doctor's eyes of stone for something.

"Mr. Cassidy, I'm going to ask you to come in this room over here." He pointed to his left, and then led Neal down a short passageway.

The room was one of the most depressing places Neal had ever been. White paint covered the wall, while matching snow tile his the ground. There was a white counter with a sink and hand sanitizer on it, and a couch that was more than a little uncomfortable. Neal hesitantly took a seat on the undersized couch, and the doctor sat on the opposite end with his clipboard in his hand.

"Mr. Cassidy, I'm Dr. Joltz. I examined your father- Mr. Angus Cassidy-"

"No disrespect here, Doc, but how's my dad? Is he okay?" Neal was not in the mood for casual conversation, despite hearing the name he had made up for his father when asked by a paramedic get him to crack a grin.

The doctor nodded, "Mr. Cassidy, your father is a very sick man."

Neal felt his heart drop, then begin to beat rapidly in his chest at the doctor's calloused phrase. 

"Is he... Will he...?" Neal couldn't even will the words out of his mouth, but his sad eyes and watery ducts asked the rest for him.

"He's very sick." The doctor repeated, "he had a very severe myocardial infarction. Luckily, you got him here fast. He was breathing when he came to us off the ambulance, we did an immediate cardiac catheterization on him."

"Whoa," Neal mentioned for the doctor to slow down. "He had a what? What did you do to him?" 

"Angus had a myocardial infarction, which is the medical name for a heart attack." The doctor paused to let the words sink in, and read the terror that struck Neal. "I preformed a cardiac cath on him- I cut a small incision in his leg and strung a piece of tubing up his arteries and into the heart and the arteries around it."

Neal was almost speechless, he wanted Rumple. He wanted Emma. He wanted Henry. He wanted Belle. He wanted someone to love and care and hold to in this moment. "Di-did you find anything?" 

"His arteries in his body look strong, but his heart is weak. It's steady now, but I would expect him to have another if not treated."

"When? What are the treatments?" Neal demanded.

"There's no telling. Maybe tonight, maybe next month, maybe not for another ten years. He'd be a ticking time bomb though. I'd like to implant a pacemaker. It's a tool-"

"Do it." Neal ordered. "I don't care what it costs, I don't care about risks, fix him." 

"I'll need to talk about it with Angus, he's the patient. If he agrees with it, though, I can preform tomorrow." The doctor paused, and a sudden wave a empathy must have hit him, "would you like to see him now?" 

"Yes." Neal mainly mouthed, and nodded quickly.

"Follow me."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After going up four levels on an elevator, and down a long row of rooms and medical equipment, the doctor stopped. "Now, Mr. Cassidy, your father is a little tired, and is coming off of medication, so he may be a little confused for awhile." 

Neal nodded, and knocked on the door before entering. He walked in almost shyly. 

Neal plastered on a smile, but it was heart-wrenching to see his father like that. Rumple was hooked up to so many tubes and machines, and had IVs extended from every direction. Rumple tried to talk, but the tubes in his nose and mouth prevented him from doing so.

"It's okay, Papa." Neal pulled a chair from the side of the room close to Rumple's bed. "Don't talk." He forced his tone to stay strong, but gentle, "just relax." Neal let his fingers travel to Rumple's forehead, and he pushed back some of his hair, and traced the lines in his forehead. "I'm not going anywhere." He squeezed right to Rumple's hand "I'm right here."

In that moment, no words were needed. It was just an understanding between father and son, a moment of true and unconditional love. A moment of weakness, a money of strength, a moment of endurance, and forgiveness. Neal knew he saw his father get teary-eyed, and in that moment, they knew they were truly important and loved.

After the tubes came out and Rumple had had some time to recover from anesthesia, the doctor came in to talk about the options they had as far as surgeries went.

Rumple and Neal both listened carefully as the doctor explained the procedure he would take to implant a pacemaker within Rumple, the risks, the benefits, and the recovery time. It seemed worth it to Neal, but Rumple seemed hesitant.

"Doctor," Rumple said, thankful to have the tubes out of his mouth, "I'd like some time to discuss things with my son, alone, for a moment? Would you mind coming back in a bit?" 

Neal felt his brows raise, he hadn't heard Rumple speak so kindly to a stranger or really anyone-minus Belle and himself- in over 200 years. 

"Of course." The doctor smoothed out his lab coat, and adjusted his square glasses before he exited the room. 

Neal looked at Rumple, perplexed. "What's wrong." Neal wasn't sure how he felt about the stoic sound that came out of his mouth.

Rumple motioned for Neal to lean in closer to him, and he did. Rumple took a breath, and then whispered, "this isn't going to be fixed with some operation of this realm. Son, my problem is magic related."

Neal wanted to roll his eyes, leave it to his father to think of magic and its power after he almost died. "They can do something for you here that will make you better." Neal ignored the magic comment.

"No they can't." Rumple opened his mouth to protest, and Neal quieted him very harshly. "Papa, you almost died!" Neal firmly squeezed Rumple's hand again, "you almost left your wife, your grandson... Papa, you almost abandoned me again." Neal bowed his head on his father's shoulder, and let the tears stream without restraint. "Why?" 

The words stung, and stabbed Rumple through the heart more painfully than any "heart attack" ever could. 

"Oh, my boy." Rumple patted his son's back, and willed him to sit up, but refused to let go of his hand. "Baelfire," it had been so long since he had used that name, "I am really sorry for all those years ago. I regretted them then, and always have. I love you, Bae, and I always will." 

"Please, Papa, don't leave me again." He squinted his eyes tight. "I need you, I love you." 

Rumple didn't know what to say. After all the years of heartache and separation and hatred, his son had somehow found enough strength within to forgive him. That was all Rumple could ask for, and now he was crying at the thought of losing him and making sure he knew that Neal loved him? It struck a cord with Rumple, he knew he didn't deserves Bae's forgiveness, he never would. Rumple knew that he had started to cry too, and clung even tighter to Neal. 

"If it would you make you happy, I'll have the procedure." Rumple affirmed, and Neal beamed. "It's not going to do anything though, my heart is turning black and solid."

Neal was confused, and Rumple knew he'd need to explain it to him more clearly. "I don't care about the power, Bae, truly I don't. I need the magic to survive." His eyes were serious and his voice hinted at traces of fear. "I'm in debt of all the terrible things I've done over the years. Each bad deed, big or small, has blackened and hardened my heart." 

Neal didn't want to listen, he hated magic, but he knew he father spoke the truth in this situation. 

"The only thing that keeps me alive is the magic, it keeps my heart "healthy". He used the air quotes for emphasis. "I don't know how long I can stay here, Bae, but I know it's not going to be good, and I know a procedure won't do anything. Not to mention that if the doctor gets inside and sees a black rock-like lump where the heart should be, he's going to have some questions."

"Alright, alright, calm down, you're working yourself up." He eyed the machine that was monitoring Rumple's vital information. 

"The only way you'll... Be okay... Is to get home, to Storybrooke?"

Rumple nodded, but Neal was skeptical,

"Are you sure." 

"Absolutely." 

"Well we need to get home then... I'm going to call Belle.

Neal told Belle of how he'd gotten to New York, and that he'd found Rumple. She seemed thrilled, and thankful for all of it. 

Then he told her about Rumple's "heart attack", and the CPR, and the doctor's desire for surgery, and finally Rumple's refusal of it and why. Neal knew that the muffles on the other end of the phone line were not simply Belle's allergies due to a particularly nice spring day in Storybrooke. 

"How is she?" Rumple asked as soon as Neal came back into his room from the hallway.

"Upset, she feels guilty, and she's worried." He tried to not make much of it, knowing that his Belle was hurting would only upset Rumple more. "She wanted to come to New York right away." Neal added, and saw plain fear strike Rumple's face, "I told her not to, and that I'd make sure you were okay."

Rumple breathed a sigh of relief, "Belle should never be exposed to such a disgusting world as here." 

"Guess what," Neal changed the subject, he couldn't hide his excitement, "she found the loophole! Belle found a way to let us back in town! It's a scroll, she agreed to throw it to us over the town line when we return. It's going to be okay, Papa, and she misses you... A lot... And sends her love."

"Bae, could you go find the doctor? I need to thank him, but decline the procedure. That is... Are you okay with that?" Rumple's big dark eyes begged his son for approval.

"Yeah, we need to get you to a safe place. This isn't going to do anything for you." He motioned the hospital.

When Neal left the room, Rumple had to let a few years straggle away. He was so proud of Bae, he had turned out to be such a good man, even without the proper hand of a father there for him. Plus, Belle sent her love. How on Earth, or any realm as Belle would say, did he deserve both his son's and Belle's love? He was a very lucky man


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The doctor seemed disappointed to give Rumple the okay to go, and assign a nurse to get his discharge papers ready. Neal was certain it was only because now he'd have a little less money in his checkbook, not that he was truly concerned for his wellbeing. That doctor did not seem authentic to him. 

"When are we going to go home?" Rumple asked, boyishly. 

"As soon as the nurse gives you the papers. We'll get out of here and we'll go back to the apartment and I'll-" 

"No, Bae, when are we going home?" His voice flat and honest.

"I don't know." Neal admitted, "as soon as possible, I promise that much." 

Just then a nurse came in the room. "Mr. Cassidy?" She asked as she entered, smiling the most fake smile Neal had ever seen.

"Hi." Both father and son answered in unison. 

The petite, dark haired nurse glanced at her clipboard. "Alright, Angus, your papers are all ready, but it is after 10 o'clock, so we would prefer you to stay the night here. For one, we really don't like to let our patients be discharged so late, and most importantly, you had a major health issue. You had a heart attack, we would prefer you to stay here at least overnight. Is that okay?" She more or less told rather than asked.

Rumple gritted his teeth, he wanted to go. "Can my son stay with me overnight?" His eyes pointed toward Neal.

The nurse smiled, almost flirtatiously, "of course. Would you like a rollaway bed.....?" She allowed the sentence to dangle, and Neal caught on,

"Neal." 

"Thank you, would you like a rollaway bed, Neal?"

"Yes please." He answered, and watched as the nurse sauntered out the door with a hair flip. He couldn't hold back his laughter. 

"Looks like you've got a new friend." Rumple raised his eyes in jest.

"I don't think so... I think Emma is all the 'friend' I need." Instinctively, Neal pulled out his cell. "I'm going to call her, and let her know what's going on."

Neal had stepped into the hall for about five minutes, then came back in. 

"How's Lady Swan?" Rumple asked seriously. 

Neal looked at his father, totally confused, then gave a hearty laugh. "Lady Swan? When did you get so gentlemanly?" 

"I've always been a gentleman, Son. Ask anyone." Rumple couldn't keep a straight face, while it was true he was very much a gentleman most of the time, he knew he probably had many people who would disagree based on deeds of the past. 

The nurse came back in, "I'm back." She rolled the bed, which looked much more like a chair, to Neal. "Here's the stowaway, my name is Harmony if you need anything else." 

Neal rearranged the chair-bed in a way that made him comfortable, then grabbed the pillow and blanket Harmony had brought in for him as well. Once he was all together, Neal turned on his side, and was happy to find out he was still close enough to hold Rumple's hand as he had been all day. 

"Are you okay?" Rumple asked, his voice heavy.

"Yeah..." Neal answers, a bit confused, "why?" 

"You've been very assertive and... Affectionate today." Rumple realized it seemed a little odd to ask about his son's excess affections.

"You're my papa." Neal replied matter-of-factly. "I thought I'd lost you, and I was scared. We've had our problem, Papa, come to think of it, we've had lots of them. I love you, though, and I'm just thankful to have you in my life again." 

"As am I to you." Rumple assured, "I spent lifetimes searching for you, just to say that I was sorry and I love you. I never though you'd ever..." Rumple sniffled, "never did I think you'd actually forgive me... Or love me... Or save my life." 

"I didn't do anything, the doctors-" 

"What the doctors did was nothing. You preformed CPR as soon as I went down, they told me in the recovery room. You're the one who got my heart to beat again, you. You always have been, Bae, but I feel like now is a good time to tell you, Son, you're my hero."

Neal liked this, in New York. He had his dad back. In Storybrooke, he had to compete with the darkness. He knew Rumple didn't want to do bad, but he couldn't control it. Here, there was no dark entity within his father. In New York, he was Bae and Rumple was just Rumple, and they were father and son and nothing else got in the way.

"That's good...because, you're mine." Neal knew Rumple flinched at his statement, so he just kept a tight hold on his hand.

"I'm a little tired now." Rumple said, Neal knew by the sound of Rumple's voice that he was dealing with some type of unusual emotion, so he didn't say anything more than a simple 'goodnight'.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Rumple woke in the morning, thanks to the glaring sunrise that forced its way into his hospital room despite the shades protection, much earlier than his liking. He rubbed at his eyes, cleared away the last dusts of sleep, and then noticed that his hand was still interlocked Bae's. Whatever had been done in the past, Rumple needed forgive himself for, Bae obviously had. 

Rumple repositioned his side, and reached out his free arm to flick at his son's nose. He had always done that when Bae was a child, and had always gotten groans of irritation in response.

Some things never changed. "Papa, stop!" Neal almost growled, and pushed at Rumple's hand near his nose.

"It's time to go, it's a new day, I-we- can go home." Rumple sounded like an eager child on Christmas morning, unable to contain even an ounce of excitement.

"They need to discharge you first." Neal replied, in the hopes of acquiring a few more minutes of sleep. 

"They gave me the papers yesterday." Rumple reminded, and grabbed his discharge papers off his overbred table, "I just need a wheelchair, I've noticed that it appears to be a custom to wheel a patient in a hospital out in this realm. Why is that?" 

"I don't know, probably liability." Neal murmured, "you need a nurse to get all that ready, hit your call light." It was clear Neal was just trying to stall now.

"My what?"

Neal had to chortle, his father was so naive to the modern world, no matter how well versed he thought he was. 

Without explaining anything, Neal reached to the side of Rumple's bed and grabbed a white probe with a circular red button and clicked down. "Someone will be in here in a minute." He informed.

Sure enough, a nurse came into Rumple's room moments later. She was pretty, though lanky, with dark hair and eyes. Both men had to be thankful it wasn't that Harmony from last night.

"Good morning Mr. Cassidy," she greeted, "'I'm Karen, I'm your nurse this morning. What can I do for you?" 

"I'd like to go home, I have my papers right here." He waved them weakly. 

"It's a bit early?" She couldn't hide the confusion in her tone, "would you like breakfast first?" 

"No, I wouldn't. If I wanted breakfast, I would've asked you to bring me a bagel, not to get-" 

"Papa!" Neal chastened, suddenly very awake. He turned his attention toward this Karen, "thank you, Miss, but my father just wants to go home. We appreciate all that you guys have done, and we'll be in touch if we need anything. My father just would like to go home now."

The nurse nodded, obviously she responded better to positive communication as opposed to snarky wit from the universe's most powerful sorcerer. 

"This is ridiculous." Rumple complained, as he read the instructions the doctor had given him.

"It's just standard medical things, Papa." Neal replied, "now buckle up. This car doesn't move until my papa is safe." He tried to sound threatening, and Neal though he saw a thin line crease upwards on Rumple's face. 

Rumple had expected Neal to get on the expressway and head home towards Storybrooke. He may not quite know every nook and cranny of New York, but he was pretty sure they weren't going the right way. "Bae, what are you doing? This isn't the way home." He felt his voice waver, he knew his son was no idiot. He knew what he was doing very well. 

"Papa, they said you could ride as a passenger in a car... Just so long as you get up and walk around every couple hours. That rule will still apply when we are Storybrooke bound, but for now I want you to rest." 

"Why?" Rumple protested, it hurt Neal to hear how anguished Rumple seemed.

"The doctor said to take it easy for a few days. I'm not going on a long ride with you ten minutes after leaving the hospital."

"I want to go home." Rumple whined.

"You will, you just need a couple days to recuperate."

Rumple glared at his son, but dropped the fight. It was probably the most 'who's the parent and who's the kid?' moment the two of them had ever had. 

When they got to the apartment, Neal assured Rumple with the walk to the elevator.

"I can walk, you know." Rumple grumbled.

"Barely." Neal joked, and patted Rumple's back.

"Oh?" Rumple stood as straight as he could, he was trying to prove he was okay, but Neal was not willing to take any chances on his father's health. "Now why do you suppose that is?" 

Neal grinned, he had been told the story of why Rumple had crippled his leg on the battlefield all them years ago only recently. It struck a cord that he had never known of, especially as a father himself now.

Rumple must have read his son's expression as guilt instead of it's true meaning- he missed his Henry. It was Rumple's turn to place a hand on the younger man's shoulder, "it was the best decision I ever made, and I don't regret it at all. It's one of the very few choices I've made that I would do over again in a heartbeat."

Neal knew her cheeks had gone bright red. He was speechless, and a bit embarrassed for reasons he didn't quite understand.

Once inside, Neal made sure Rumple was seated comfortably on the couch with an afghan thrown overtop him.

"Alright, I'm going to go straighten out your bed... Please stay conscious." Neal attempted a joke, but it came out not too well. Rumple just nodded and leaned back.

The day seemed to fly by, father and son bonded the entirety of it. Neal made the food for the day, cleaned the place, made sure Rumple took his medicines on time, got him up when he wanted. He even forced Rumple to get up and walk around even when he didn't want to every couple of hours, he needed to try to prevent clots. 

As evening blanketed New York, Neal was caught up in some tv show, and Rumple was reading about some mundane thing he didn't understand in the newspaper.

"How's tomorrow sound?" Neal asked out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Rumple tilted his head towards Neal, a blank stare draped his face.

"To go to our real home?" Neal loved to be able to say that word. Home. After so long, he finally understood what it meant. 

"You think we could get there tomorrow?" Rumple's childlike excitement came back. "Please?" His face lit up like Neal had never before known.

"You know," Neal just needed to tell this to Rumple. Maybe it would be good for Rumple, maybe it would do him good to, or maybe it would be for both of them to hear it. "After I fell though that portal, I always wonder what "home" was. I always thought it was a place. I thought I'd need to go back to the Enchanted Forest to be home, and I knew I'd never get there. I'm glad I was wrong. Eventually, I thought home was when I got taken in by foster parents... They 'loved me' until I got too wild, and then I was thrown out again."

"I never wanted you to suffer," Rumple spoke meekly, "truly I never did."

"I know." Neal acknowledged, then continued his rant. "When I met Emma, was our love one of those "love at first sight" things? I don't know about her, but for me it was. After Emma, I always felt that Tallahassee would be home. Then I came to Storybrooke and I finally, after 200 years, know what home feels like."

Rumple was intently listening. It was a rare thing to get Neal to say much more than a few sentences at once.

"I found Tallahassee." Neal finally said.

"When did you live in Florida?"

Neal laughed, this was so much in character for his father.

"No it's a thing between Emma and I. Tallahassee means home... I've finally found my Tallahassee, my home. That's with my family- with Henry, Emma, Belle, and you. That's where my home is, wherever you four are." He remembered back to that night he and Emma spent at the carnival after hours. "Home is where... When you leave, you just miss it."

Rumple nodded, quietly, as if he was taking it all in. After a couple of long seconds, he finally worked up the courage to ask, 

"So, Bae, how did you and Miss Swan meet anyways? What's your love story?" He seemed sincerely interested, and Neal grinned.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes." Rumple exasperated, it was offensive for Neal to think he wouldn't truly be interested in his love life.

"She stole a car I had stolen, and I was kind of hiding in the back when she stole it."

"You met stealing a car?"

Neal nodded, "Emma's bug. I stole it, and was hiding out in the back. The she came and thought she was stealing it, I popped up in the back seat when she started driving and scared the crap out of her." Neal laughed at the memory, then continued when he was able to. "We got pulled over by the cops shortly after, and we had both confessed to each other about stealing the car, and we both had a record-"

"Isn't that just what ever father wants to hear." Rumple put his head in his hands, and watched with that of a happy parent while Neal recalled days of his youth that Rumple had missed. 

"No- that cop was on to us!" Neal practically squelched. "I hopped in the front when we got pulled over, and told him that I was teaching my girl how to drive a stick shift. He gave us a quick slap on the wrist and left... Then Emma called me a mysoginist." He paused, "it's been true love ever since." 

"True love?" Rumple raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Neal fiddled with his hands, "another time we decided to rob a gas station for food. Emma put a pillow under her shirt to make it look like she was pregnant, then when we almost got caught, she acted as though she were going into labor. We lived from hotel room to hotel room, ate what we could get at gas stops and fast food joints. It was a fun life for two kids, then we talked about settling down." He remembered the moment fondly, the hotel kisses and the feeling of excitement at never knowing what the next day had in store. "I had a map of the States, don't ask me why, but I told Emma to close her eyes and point to anywhere on the map. Whenever her finger landed, that's where we would settle down." 

"And her finger landed on Tallahassee, Florida." Rumple nodded knowingly, and Neal returned the nod.

"Yeah... That night was probably when Henry was conceived."

"Did not need to know that much, Son." That was Rumple's extended way of saying 'TMI, Kid.' 

"Sorry" he wasn't, Rumple saw that Neal was still clinging to the inner peace that comes with recalling memories of happy times spent with those you love. He took a deep breath, and a sadness replaced his eased smile. "Then everything went sour. August told me knew who I was and that if I didn't get Emma arrested she would never be able to save Storybrooke and be happy and have a family. I didn't want to hurt her, but I wanted her to have her family, and I thought it was her best chance. I wish I would've done differently, but I can't change the past."

"Don't we all." Rumple agreed, it was evident he was evaluating his past sins. He shook his head, and forced his mind back to the present, and happier thoughts. He gazed at Neal, drinking in his son's emotions, and admiring him in that way parents do. "At least it all worked out, you guys seem happy." 

"I'm very happy." Neal confirmed. "Happier than I ever imagined would be possible."

"Good." 

"Papa, can I share something with you?" Neal asked hesitantly, and he didn't even know why.

"Of course!" A jolt of lightning seemed to have rushed through Rumple, he had sat up way to fast and allowed his excitement to overtake better knowledge.

"I'm going to propose to Emma. I've been thinking about it for awhile, but this being away from her has sealed it. I wasn't sure when the right time would be, I think I'm going to ask as soon as we get home." 

"That's wonderful!" Rumple encouraged, and the bliss on his face was the most sincere and delighted. "I would love to take her in as my daughter," he saw the face Neal made at him, "your wife is automatically my daughter, I'll treat her as my own."

"Thanks, Papa!" Neal plunged toward Rumple, and wrapped him in a hug. "Would you be my best man?" 

"Yes, of course." He squeezed Neal as tight as he could. "I'm just so happy for you." He remarked when Neal pulled back.

"I'm happy too." There was about a thirty second lull before Neal asked, "Papa, I love Belle. I was just wondering, since you asked mine, what is your love story like?"

Rumple gave a sarcastic laugh, "messy, complicated, that about is the sum of it.". 

"Care to explain?" Neal gave Rumple a light push on the shoulder. "I want to hear about how you met your true love too, you heard about mine." 

Rumple was quiet a moment, "well, I guess it's not quite so romantic of a meeting as in a stolen car." His eyes shot daggers at Neal, he just looked down and blushed. Rumple continued on, "I met my Belle in the Enchanted Forest." 

"Wow, she really loved you- green and sparkly and all."

Rumple rolled his eyes, "it is a bit tacky, I agree." He thought about how he had so readily made his worst impressions on people using his appearance as a cover. He didn't want to just do bad things, he had to make a full production. "Belle was a deal I made. Her kingdom was under attack, and I promised to save their land if Belle came to live with me... Forever."

"What?" Neal couldn't hide his disgust, "are you kidding me, Papa, why would you do that?"

"To this day I'm not even sure. I just saw her and I knew that's what I wanted. Did I objectify her in that deal, yes, but she was just so pretty and she was willing to come live with me forever. She wasn't afraid of me, and I was so lonely."

There was something strange in Rumple's eyes, not a fondness of the past or a nostalgic look. Neal couldn't quite place his finger on it. It was something almost like... Guilt? Shame? Neal forced his attention to his father's words, he had to be overthinking it. Rumple was a new man, on a brighter path. He wasn't the man he had been all those years ago, he wasn't the monster Neal had made him out to be for so long, he was kind and good. He had changed, and Neal admired him for that all the more.

"Okay," Neal prompted, he had to have made up the tension in his head, but it was awkward none the less. "Do you were lonely, then what? You didn't just take the poor girl a way and do nothing to make her fall for you." 

Rumple grinned, "I really don't know what I did. Let's just go with, Belle is a beautiful human being who makes good in everyone-even when there's none to be found." 

Neal nodded, and read Rumple's mind-well sort of. He knew the distracted gaze wasn't good, Rumple was always attentive to Neal. He figured it was probably Rumple's way of making up for the years he missed. He knew something was wrong now, but what didn't make sense.

"Papa, are you feeling alright?" Neal raised his voice,gruffly, like a nurse to an elderly person. "Do you need to go back to the hospital?" 

"No..." Rumple muttered, his hands wrung in his lap. "Baelfire, I haven't really been completely honest with you since you and Belle brought me back from the dead." 

Uncertainty and fear rose in his gut. Neal knew that whatever Rumple was about to say, it pertained to the odd glassy haze in his eyes moments before. A hand went to his abdomen, above the diaphragm, as Neal tried to slow his breathing. It felt like his heart had sank, he had done it again. He had trusted his father. The next sentence out of his mouth were more of a moan or sheer desperation and despair,

"What did you do?"

"I know it wasn't right, none of it was... But the ends justify the means, I thought." Rumple was suddenly speaking very fast, and Neal knew it would be bad.

"You always think the ends justify the means, and usually, they don't." Neal rubbed at his eyes, and wished that this could be a dream he could wake from.

"That witch tried to kill you!" Rumple growled, and slammed his fist on the table.

"Wh-?" Neal wasn't quite sure what she had to do with anything at this point.

"Zelena thought she could try to murder MY son and get away with it. No, I told you and Belle I wouldn't do any harm to her... That was a lie, a blatant lie." Rumple's teeth snarled, rage of the memory had risen to his very surface. "I went to her jail cell right after I promised you both that, and I killed her. A crazed expression painted his face. 

"Papa, what did I say about murder?" Neal groaned in agony, and shook his head.

"She's different, she tried to kill you... She had to die, Bae."

"No she didn't." Neal retorted, "Papa, you need to stop using murder to 'teach a lesson'."

"That was no lesson, she tried to take you away from me, she thought she'd hurt you. I showed her, I saved your life, and I gave her what she deserved."

Neal wasn't sure how to respond, he wasn't happy with what Rumple had admitted to, but it wasn't really 'that' terrible, was it? He had killed to protect his family. Neal hated to admit he could ever do such a thing, but if someone tried to hurt Henry, he'd be able to kill them too. "You need to talk to us, Belle and I want to be there for-"

"I gave Belle the fake dagger, I manipulated her into thinking she had the real one. I manipulated you with that too. I've been out at night doing bad things, while allowing you two to say how proud you were of me. I took that pirate's bloody heart and controlled him to make him do my dirty work, I made him trap the fairies in the hat, I was going to kill him too, if Belle hadn't intervened, and...." Rumple paused in his rambling, trying to search his son's eyes. They were cold, stone. The next thing was going to hurt, and Rumple felt the tears well. Neal would never forgive him, he would get up right now and head back to Storybrooke. He wouldn't care about him, he'd never care if he saw his father again... Rumple could make something up, it would be easier. Neal was mad now, but once he found out... He'd be furious.

"Papa," Neal voiced the words slowly, the worst things he could imagine playing in his head. "What. Did. You. Do?" 

Rumple utterly wanted to fib, it felt like the natural thing to do, but once his eyes and Bae's met, he couldn't lie to him, hurt him, anymore. He needed to be honest with Bae, no matter what.

Rumple reached for his child's hand, he needed to hold it once more, it could be the final time he would have the opportunity to hold his son's hand. Neal accepted the hand faintly, clearly more worried about whatever it was Rumple had to say.

"I-I tried to kill Emma, indirectly of course, but-"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

"YOU WHAT!?" Neal fumed, his face beat red and his lip bitten firmly. His body was ridged, and his eyes cold. Everything about his presence was that of pure fury and threat. 

Rumple was used to being afraid, being a coward. This was something completely new, though, to be scared of his own son. He moved slightly, as if trying to hide in the couch. Hanging on to a glimmer of hope that Neal would allow an explanation, he glanced to his eyes. Nothing but loathe and distrust and disgust stared back at him.

"I SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER!" Neal kicked at the floor, and shoved the side table out of his way, and headed toward the balcony, and muttered under his breath, "I should've known you would never change. I should've known I could never trust you."

"Bae," the words that were being thrown at Rumple stung worse than being stabbed with a thousand knives, troubled him more than the dagger's demands when they took hold on him. "I-I can-"

"Shut up." Neal exited onto the balcony, and slammed the door behind him. 

Neal was sure he was going to be sick. He threw his body against the rail of his "balcony", which was really only a age worn and decrepit wooded stairwell outside the apartment, just in case he had to vomit over the side. Neal knew his father could be a real beast sometimes, cruel and unfeeling, inhuman, but he had truly thought he had changed. Rumple had seemed so... Happy lately. He had seemed content with his life, with his wife, his son, and his grandson. He had everyone fooled. He wasn't happy, he was deceiving and manipulating them as he always did.

Neal tried to understand the pull the dagger had, he truly did, but this was too far. He could deal with his father, whom he had viewed through rose-tinted lenses the last few months, practicing magic. He could turn his head when Rumple would manipulate or lie about sneaking around to play with magic, and even when he had been sneaking around town trying to destroy it. Neal could ignore a lot, he hadn't even cared that Rumple had intended to murder Killian. He hadn't liked it, it wasn't going to deter him from bringing Rumple home though. This... This was too much. Rumple had tried to hurt Emma, his true love, and the mother of his son. He couldn't simply turn the other way to this one.

Neal kicked the steel bars of the gate and shook them fiercely. He had never been too great at taking out his anger appropriately. 

Inside the apartment, Rumple was crushed. He regretted everything he had done up to this point. He didn't mean to hurt his son, his only child, he just needed to be free. He couldn't stand the thought of being controlled anymore, the thought of being forced to do bad things, even to possible harm those he cared for. The memory of the night in the Enchanted Forest when Zelena had commanded Rumple to kill Belle, and when he watched as his son very nearly died in his lap was all too vivid. He had fought it hard but Rumple knew that, had that over elaborate candle not had a moment of conscious unselfishness, then he very likely would have killed Belle, and it wouldn't surprise Rumple if Zelena would be the type to force him to... Hurt.. His own blood. He shuddered to think of harm coming to Bae, and realized that he had just hurt-and angered-him more than he could ever imagine. He knew he had to make things right with Bae, he couldn't lose him again.

How could Neal have been so naive? He lightly hit his head against the brick of the outside of the building. He knew what his father was, the type of person he was. He had let his own flesh and blood fall into a completely different world because he treasured the power more. He hadn't cared for him then, why had he suddenly wanted so much to do with him now? Why had he wanted so much to do with his own son, he had planned to hurt Emma, what else would he have been capable of?

Neal wished this wouldn't have happened, but then again, he could've have risked allowing his father back in town. Where all his loved ones were. It was probably for the best this had come out, now all Neal needed was a plan of what to do. He couldn't just leave Rumple alone in the real world, but Neal had to get home, he had people who loved him and needed him there.

"Bae..." Rumple's weak voice drifted in his ears, and Neal felt his temper raise. "I-"

"Go away." Neal kept his voice stern, unfeeling. At this point, despite the rage, he felt emotionally numb. 

"Bae I am really-" Rumple placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder, and Neal brushed it off heatedly.

"I said go away!" Somehow Neal managed to keep a steady pitch, and turned around to face his father. Neal knew that he had subconsciously puffed out his chest and taken on a more threatening posture, an old habit he had learned from his days on the street, to protect his own in confrontation. 

"I'm just trying-"

"LEAVE!" Neal exploded, and pointed inside, he stepped closer to his father and glared down at him in their height difference. "I'VE BEEN NICE, NOW I AM ABOUT TO LOSE IT. GET AWAY FROM ME!" If Neal hadn't had better self control, he probably would've pushed Rumple out of his way, but he didn't have the heart to act violently toward a fresh out of the hospital heart patient. He was beyond furious, and everything in his body told him to dish Rumple everything he felt now and all he had felt in the past and let him know what a sorry excuse he was, but his heart couldn't do it. Even though he didn't show it, Neal did have a pang of guilt and sadness when he watched the tears in his father's eyes well, then spill over his lids, and the eventual ocean of tears that streamed down Rumple's face as he dejectedly turned and limped inside.

Neal remained outside on his "balcony" for another couple of hours at least. He just couldn't make his fee go back in. He couldn't handle the thought of needing to look at Rumple, let alone have a conversation, and he knew a conversation would be necessary. 

He needed to call Emma, just to hear her voice. Maybe she could give him insight or relief or at least let him blow off steam. Neither of them would be considered even-tempered people, but Emma did have the ability to reason situations out and think about the before acting on anything, Neal lacked that skill.

"Hey Em, I know you're probably busy but I just...I just need to hear you talk." Emma must have noticed something in his voice that had begged for attention, for she asked about the tone. "My dad... Something happened and he hurt me. I know I should've been more leery to trust him, but I wanted to, he's my dad. I wanted to believe he's changed, that he's better than he was before." He sniffled, and struggled not to let his emotions flood, he wanted to make sure Emma could at least understand his words on the other end of the phone.

Neal and Emma talked for a good twenty minutes. He told her of all that had happened since they had last spoken, including what his father had intended to do to her. To the surprise of Neal, Emma had already known, and hadn't told him because she didn't want to do anything that might harm their new budding relationship. Though he was a grown man, Neal needed his dad around and needed a relationship with him. 

After Emma had revealed that she was aware of Rumple's deadly scheme, Neal asked what she wanted him to do. She had said that she didn't care, Gold was Gold. He would always be tricky and have a tendency for manipulation, and they'd need to watch him for suspicious behavior and lies all the time, but he was his father and Henry's grandfather. No matter what, it wouldn't honestly be fair to exile him away where he would be alone and those who loved him and he cared for in return couldn't go. 

Neal wasn't sure if he was relieved Emma didn't seem to mind him bringing his dad back to town, especially after he had "unintentionally tried to kill her" ,whatever that meant, or angry because that meant he'd be risking harm to the town and its people again. 

Next Neal called Belle. Would she know about this?

Yes, Belle had known about how Rumple had tried to hurt Emma. Belle was able to shed light on how it was "unintentional" though, so Neal was thankful for that. Apparently, Rumple hadn't intended to kill Emma in cold blood, he had wanted to steal her magic by entrapping her in a wizard's hat. Emma technically wouldn't have been killed, but she would've been turned into a speck on that hat for a long time-possibly forever. 

In addition to that information, Belle told  
Neal about how she had figured out Rumple's plan and what he needed and why. It was all in an attempt to free his soul from the clutches of that dagger. 

One side of Neal was mad at Rumple, and would be for a long time, but the other side felt sorry for him. After he hung up with Belle, Neal knew he couldn't put off talking to Rumple any longer. He would bring him home, but he'd watch him very closely. Just so long as Rumple's stories matched the general idea that Emma and Belle had both mentioned. Of course, Neal knew Rumple's ideas could be questionable in reason and have his typical attitude of "the ends justify the means", but he just hoped that the general reason why he had done all he'd done would line up with what the women had said.

When Neal got inside, Rumple wasn't in the front room. Truthfully, Neal was glad. He went to the stove, after a quick glance around, and put on the burner and gathered some supplies for dinner. It would be easier to initiate conversation with food. 

Once Neal had completed the food, just a simple grilled cheese sandwich for each of them, he placed them on plates, and headed to the bedroom. It was a tiny apartment, if he couldn't see his dad in the living room and kitchen, then he would have to see him from the bedroom. 

For a moment, Neal worried Rumple would have taken off again,or that maybe he had had another "attack" and was keeled over someplace, those fears washed away when Neal opened the bedroom door. 

The squeak of the door prompted Rumple to raise his sad and swollen eyes to the source. "I'm going to get my stuff and I'll be-"

"Shh," Neal hushed, "I made dinner." Silently, he crossed the room and handed Rumple a one of the plates he had carried. Rumple accepted it with only a nod of thanks. Neal eyed the bed, "can I sit and eat... With you?" 

A spark of unexpected glee filled Rumple's eyes, "of course", he practically exclaimed midway through a bite of his grilled cheese. 

Dinner was awkward and quiet, neither man knew what to say, and neither would drop the pride factor. There was so much in question right now, so much up in the air. Neal didn't know how to feel, how to trust, what to say. Rumple wasn't sure how to act, or what to say, he didn't known how his son was feeling or what was going through his mind, he didn't even know if he would ever be able to get home. To the surprise of both father and son, Rumple was the first to break the tension. 

"Thank you." He took another large bite.

"You're welcome." Neal didn't even bother to give Rumple a glance, just kept his eyes and attention on his food. 

"I'm truly sorry, you know." Rumple muttered just loud enough for Neal to hear, "I'd never hurt you or anything or one you love." 

Neal couldn't hide his temper any longer, "the why did you do just that?" 

Rumple took a deep sigh, there was nothing he could say that would make things any better. "I didn't want to, but I had to. Baelfire, you and your happiness mean everything to me. I would never hurt you or your loved ones if I didn't have to,"

"Then why did you try to?" Neal repeated, his face stone. He waited a minute, and then added matter-of-factly, "I know everything, I just want to hear it come from your mouth, I want to hear you say it."

Rumple allowed the words to sink in, and turned them in his mind over and over. Bae knew, he knew and he was willing to listen to him despite that. He was willing to talk, he wanted to talk."

"Papa, please, just tell me the truth. I don't care about what you did or why, I just want to hear you say it, I just want you to be honest with me for once in my life." 

"I needed Emma's magic." Rumple spit out, "she has more light magic in her than everybody else in town combined. I needed light magic to enact the hat's full capabilities."

Neal nodded, his eyes had turned sympathetic, and he gently touched Rumple's hand, "and why did you need Emma's magic to activate the hat's full potential?" he made sure his voice was soft.

"I needed to cleave myself of that cursed dagger, I needed too." He gripped on his son's hand as if for dear life, "I know you don't understand, but it's so-" Rumple's voice picked up in haste and disdain.

"No, Papa, I do understand." Neal forced his body to swallow his pride, "I may not know what it feels like to be tethered to that thing, I do know that you need to be cleaved from it though." 

Rumple seemed shocked, but hopeful. 

"I know it's going to be hard." Neal actively had to think in order to control his tone, "and it could take some time, but we'll do it." He had to make the situation a little lighter, "Plus we'll find a way to do it without sacrificing my girlfriend." 

"Well, I wasn't going to kill her really..." Rumple started in a mock protest. 

"Turning her into a dot on a wizard's hat for all eternity..." Neal raised an eyebrow.

"She wouldn't have been dead." Rumple countered, "she just would've been... Well, a dot." 

The conversation was beginning to lose its seriousness, and Neal knew he needed to steer it in the right direction again.

"Okay, all joking aside, we're going to free you, Papa, and we won't hurt anyone else in the process." He squeezed Rumple's hand and looked him in the eyes, "it's gonna happen." 

Rumple couldn't hardly believe it, things would be okay. Bae seemed to have forgiven him for his latest villainous act and loved him, and he was still going to be able to go home and make amends with Belle. It seemed crazy to think he'd be able to free his soul from the dagger without harming anyone else. Rumple knew that if anyone could do it, it would be his son or his wife, his heroes. 

"You... You've forgiven me?" Rumple had to muster up more courage than he could even imagine to ask this of his son.

Neal grinned and had to laugh to control his mouth, "I forgive you, Papa." Neal fought the tickle in his throat, "I don't trust you, though, and I'm going to have to keep an eye on you until you prove trustworthy again-which is going to be a long time. I'm mad at you for what you tried to do, that anger isn't going to just disappear. It's probably going to be there a very long time. In fact, at this moment, I kind of despise you."

Neal watched the features on Rumple's face sink in, and the way he hung his head. Maybe he had been a little to harsh in his choice of words, his father had always been very meticulous about word choice in any kind of situation in life.

"But you're my papa," Neal touched Rumple's chin softly, and forced him to lift it and look at him in the eyes, "and no matter what, you're always going to be my papa, and I love you." 

Rumple smiled, and Neal was sure he was going to watch him cry again.

"Son, could I please... Hug you?" 

It absolutely broke his heart to hear the words uttered from his father's lips, so desperate, so pitiful. Without any words, Neal flung his body at Rumple and wrapped him up in a tight hug. Rumple seemed like he didn't know how to react at first, then accepted his son's body and clung to him tighter than he had ever done in the past.

"Thank you, son." He muttered into his shoulder. This had to be the best feeling in the world, to love and be loved so fully toward and from one's own child, flesh and blood. 

When Neal pulled away, he had to make a positive remark. "You know, when we get home, we should have a guy's bonding day-you, me, and Henry."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Tension lingered in the air the rest of the night, things had been resolved but hearts need time to mend. After he and Rumple had made up, Neal kept to his own in the main room most of the night, Rumple was content to stay in the bedroom and enjoy the reading material Neal had stocked in his drawers that he had never actually read. 

Neal did all that was absolutely needed, he made sure his father didn't go hungry, he watched the clock to know when to give him what medication, he made sure he was feeling alright every so often, and that he was comfortable. It was comforting in a way, the feeling that he knew he was needed. Rumple may have had more magic than anyone in all the worlds, but that didn't change that fact that, despite his own beliefs, he was very naive to the ways of the modern world and how it functioned. 

Finally, it was about nine at night. Neal decided he desperately needed a shower, about the time he could smell his odor he know it was time. 

Quietly, Neal walked through the doorway that connected the bedroom and living room, ignoring Rumple engrossed in whatever book that was on the bed. When he stepped foot in the doorway, Neal had to say it,

"I'm going to take a shower now. Papa, if you wouldn't mind, please don't have another attack on me." 

Neal was rewarded with only a minute grin from Rumple, along with that slight chortle he always seemed to do with sarcastic humor directed at him. 

The water was fantastic. It had been about three and half days since everything had begun, but it sure felt a lot longer. Neal hadn't even taken a shower since the night prior to when he tore out of Storybrooke. The water, probably too hot for his own good, was a welcomed friend, and Neal enjoyed the way it slid down his body. It was cold in New York, in the prime of winter, and the heat and steam that had billowed from the shower put him in a much more pleasant mood. Neal cupped his hands and caught some water, which he inhaled the steam into his nostrils before he splashed his face with it, a feeling of ease washed over him.

It was funny, really, how this used to be 'home'. Of course, it never really was, but Neal had forced his mind to believe it, he had never imagined he would ever truly be home again- with Emma and Rumple, and the son he hadn't known he had until over a decade into the boy's life. Storybrooke was home, the place that was filled with people from the one place he thought he'd never want to go back, the Enchanted Forest. In retrospect, he realized that he wished he would've been content to live there and work with his father. Rumple was an addict, and hard to love at times, but he was a good man in heart, and his bad was always a way to a greater good in Rumple's mind. Neal understood that now, at 14 he hadn't, and he thought he was doing the right thing by giving Rumple the ultimate ultimatum. 

It hurt when Rumple released his hand, and didn't even jump after him after the fact. It hurt all those years he spent in London with the Darlings and in Neverland, even worse as an orphan in today's society. To this day, it was painful to think about, and Neal did carry questions about it with him, he did have a lack of trust in Rumple because of it, and he would never be able to forget it. He hadn't understood it way back then and even now, especially because he was now a father, he didn't understand it. The darkness was more than a curse, it was a monster that took any love and humanity out of a person as painfully as it could.

If he could redo things, go back to being that immature kid who didn't have the capacity to comprehend everything that was going on, and know what he knew now, things would be different, they would be better. 

Would they really? Neal had to pause his train of thought for a second. Yes, he had had a lot of pain and anger, he had grown up alone, and he had suffered tremendously. He had hated his father for over 200 years, and had been lost. Despite all of that though, Neal had learned things that he never would've had he stayed in the Enchanted Forest, things that made him who he was. No matter his flaws or how he could loathe his own being at times, Neal wouldn't trade his personality or life for anyone else's. If Neal had stayed, he would've never gone to Neverland, he never would've known the Darlings. The Darlings had been a great influence on his young impressionable age, they showed him what a true family could be like, and he had hungered for his own ever since then.

If he had never fallen through that portal, Neal wouldn't have ever met Emma. Of course, the reason the first curse had been cast was to find him, maybe he would've met her anyway in the Enchanted Forest. She would've been a princess and he would've been- well, the son of Rumplestiltskin. They wouldn't have had a chance back there, and Henry would- he wouldn't have even been born. 

The thought alone sent shudders down his spine and, in that instant, Neal knew why he had suffered so much, why his life had turned out this way. Henry. When he jumped down that portal all those years ago, he was setting up his life for the greatest joy, parenting. He had to suffer so Henry wouldn't, he had to learn how to be the dad he had been deprived of for his teenage years, he had to know how to give and receive love so fully with Emma, and he had to go to this land to meet meme so that Henry could exist. Neal contorted his thoughts into a way that made sense to him, and was proud of it. 

He stepped out of the shower and felt more relaxed and at ease than he had in a long time. All anxiety and fear had ceased, and Neal was just excited for tomorrow when he and Rumple could finally start home. It felt as though it had been years since he'd been home with Emma and Henry.

"Hey... Um... Papa," Neal was shy, and crawled on the bed Rumple was nearly sleeping in. "You, uh... I never gave you the chance to finish your story." 

"My story?" Rumple rubbed his eyes, and started at his son who was perched in the center of the bed with crisscrossed legs.

"Yeah, about your love story." His eyes showed clear interest, which surprised Rumple very much.

"It was a trade. I saved Belle's land in exchange for her. I was just a lonely old man, and when it came time to choose a price, something in me wanted her. I wasn't going to make her love me or fall for her, I just wanted her to reside with me for some reason."

"So how did you fall in love?" Neal prompted, "there's a story, and I'm going to ask until you tell me." Neal gave a look of firm determination and steadfastness.

"I caught her. I liked things dark- hence The Dark Castle- and Belle wanted to open the shades one day. She fell off a ladder, and I caught her. I think that's when I realized that I had feelings for her, after that it was just so... Clear. I knew that she was the girl I wanted forever, as mine, and I would never be able to have."

"Why?"

"Belle is a beautiful woman with a pure and good heart. I'm an ugly man who is no more than a monster, it would never make sense." 

"You're not a monster, Papa." Neal reached and patted Rumple's shoulder, "I want you to quit saying that all the time, because it's not true at all."

Rumple smirked, but a tinge of sadness lingered behind it, "that's what she would always say." Rumple was quiet for a moment, trying to remember and get the details right, "I'm not sure when Belle knew she was in love with me... I had let her go though. I had told her to go to the market, knowing that she would probably run away as soon as she could. I never expected to see her again, and then she came back. She had the opportunity to leave my clutches and be free, and she came back. Then she kissed me and my curse started to break, and I didn't know what to do and was scared, I pulled back and screamed at her, and eventually banished her."

"What?" Neal hadn't known this before, "you ALMOST had your curse lifted and you stopped it? Why?"

"I was afraid." Rumple stated simply, "I didn't think anyone could love, I couldn't allow myself to submit so much power, I needed to keep my power to get to you, I was scared of what would happen if I lost it, afraid of if I got hurt taking a gamble on love. Son, there's so much I was afraid of. I'm very proud of you, Bae, both your grandfather and I were cowards, you're not."

"That doesn't make you a coward." Neal countered, "everyone is afraid to get hurt in love, anyone would be afraid of never seeing their kid again. If I was told I'd never see Henry again, I'd go ballistic." 

"There's more to the story than that, it extends to before I had power, when I was with your mother, and even beyond that point."

Neal just shrugged his shoulders, he knew this wasn't a discussion worth getting into. "So... If you were both in love with each other, then you banished her... How did you two get together?"

"After the first curse broke, she found me. I didn't think she knew who I was because, as happens a lot in that town, a lot of people didn't have their memories from the Enchanted Forest at the time. She made me know she knew who I was and we just embraced. It was as though all that we had suffered and denied feelings for decades just came out, and we knew it would be alright. After that we just took it slow and did what we could to court... Then we wed. It's a rather complicated, yet a simple, story. 

"So when did you know you wanted Belle to... Be your wife?"

Rumple smiled ear to ear, he knew exactly what Neal was thinking and leading to and he was so happy for his boy. "I guess I knew in Neverland. I had finally allowed myself to believe she could love me, we finally had a future together, and then it was threatened. Bae, I would've died to protect Henry. I know you had your questions, but I would have. I was planning on it, I even said my goodbyes to Belle before we went. I've made bad choices in my life, but I would never allow any harm to come to my grandson."

Neal nodded, "I know." 

Something about that made Rumple glow inside. "However, when I realized that I might have to die to save Henry, it made me realize how much I did want a life with Belle. That's when I knew, because I wanted to get home to her and I wanted to start a life with her, but I knew I probably wouldn't get to go back to Storybrooke." Rumple thought for a moment, "and then I was afraid to ask when we got home. I kept putting it off. Then, when you and Belle found a way to bring me back, I knew. Both of you had worked so hard, neither of you gave up on me. I thank you for that so much, because it showed that you guys do care. When I saw you, Bae, dying on the ground in Belle's lap, and Zelena had me captive by the bloody dagger, I'd do anything to stop it."

Rumple had to control his breathing, the memory was too painful to come without tears, "I am beyond thankful that over glorified piece of wax had a moment of consciousness and was able to get the dagger away from Zelena. If he hadn't... I wouldn't have been able to kiss you and save you."

Neal knew he was tearing up too, he would never not cry at a moment when Rumple told him about how much he cared and loved him. He may be an adult man, but he would never grow out of the childlike bliss that came from his papa telling him how loved he was by him.

"Watching Belle try to comfort you, and the two of your work to save me, that was my moment. I knew I couldn't let her go again." 

They were both quiet for a few seconds, the tension palpable. Rumple broke it with a knowing tone, "so, Baelfire, when are you proposing to Miss Swan?"

Neal flushed a deep red, and was suddenly very shy, "I'm no-"

"Yes you are." Rumple nodded, an act that ended the younger man's act.

"As soon as possible." Neal gushed, "I lost Emma once, I let her go because it was what would be best for her, but I missed her. I never thought I'd see her again and it was a living nightmare. I've always loved her, and I've known I wanted to do this since I asked for a second chance. It's just, this being away from her and Henry, it's only been a few days and it's driving me crazy. I love Emma, and I need to make things official."

Rumple just nodded again, he was so proud of his son. Every time Neal opened his mouth in regards to Emma or Henry, Rumple was amazed by what an amazing man his son had turned out to be. He certainly hadn't taught him how, that was something Bae had embedded in him. 

"Well," Rumple ran his tongue over his dry lips, "looks like we'll need to stop and buy a ring on our way home."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

The sun arose early the next morning. When the rays struck Neal, he woke instantly. He didn't miss that either. In New York, the sun was always too bright, too bold. In Maine, he almost never was so rudely awakened from nature. He rubbed at his eyes, allowed the final bits of sleep to wear off, and then felt excitement start to bubble from within his gut. He was going home today! 

As excited as he was, Neal couldn't wake Rumple up so early. He had gone through a lot of stress, both physically and emotionally, the past few days, and Neal knew sleep would only do him good. Not to mention he needed time for his own state of mind as well. It had only been but a few days, but Neal felt drained and like he had been in a constant whirlwind. If this was how he felt just waking up, he didn't want to even imagine how it would be once he was on the road. 

While he waited for Rumple, Neal picked up the few scattered belongings he had brought with him, and stuffed them in the small carrying suitcase he had grabbed from Belle's closet. 

Thankfully, only about ten minutes passed between the time Neal finished packing his bag to the time Rumple rolled out of bed and staggered to the front room.

"Papa," Neal pivoted a bit nervously, Rumple's early rise was a bit of a surprise, "what are you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep much." Rumple shrugged, then smiled longingly, "we're going home today?" His eyes showed a tinge of guilt.

"Yeah," Neal affirmed, "we're going home." It hadn't truly been that long, but it sure felt like it. "I just need to get some breakfast in me and then we'll go home."

"No no no." Rumple wagged his finger at his son, "as excited as much as going home sounds nice, you need to do something first." His eyes trapped the younger man's.

"What do I need to do?" Neal asked, and had to try to search his brain.

"Like you don't know." Rumple reached up and squeezed his son's shoulder. After reading that Neal hadn't known what he meant, he decided to spare the poor boy the struggle, and his eyes darted to his own wedding band, "the ring... For Miss Swan."

"Oh!" Neal exclaimed, and turned a rosy shade again. "I can get that in Storybrooke, it's no big deal, really." 

"Nonsense." Rumple dismissed the idea forcefully, "you need to get it here, something good, not some rinky-dink place in our little town. I would only trust Miss Aquata as far as I could throw her on such matters. Please, Son, go to someone professional in this realm."

Neal just gave a halfhearted nod, "get ready,  
I want to leave as soon as possible."

Rumple's lips curved upward, "I'm ready, as you may recall, I've nothing with me but the clothes on my back." 

"Let's go then." Neal did a quick scan of the apartment, hopefully he would never have a reason to come back to New York. He would much prefer to live his days in Storybrooke with Emma, Henry, and his father. Even better, he'd like for them to live in the Enchanted Forest, that's where he-where they all- belonged. 

There was just one item he couldn't leave behind. Quickly, Neal crossed to the window of the room, and pushed the curtain aside. "I couldn't leave this." He gently pulled out an big dreamcatcher, it wasn't new, but it was clearly a special item to Neal. "I need to bring this to Emma." His finger traced the twine of the dreamcatcher, and a nostalgic smile toyed on him, "okay" Neal forced his mind to focus, "now let's go."

They had only stopped at a gas station for Neal to fill up the car and grab a few slices of pizza. Rumple had questioned the quality of gas station pizza, but Neal had persistently convinced him that it would be "awesome". It had been decent enough, but Rumple would far prefer anything home cooked and native to his pallet. Neal, probably due to having spent much of his adult life in this realm, didn't seem to mind as he scarfed down the slice of one of his favorite foods.

About three hours after having crossed the Vermont state line, Rumple began to nag.  
"So, you know we've passed like ten jewelry store so far, and you haven't yet stopped to buy Miss Swan a ring."

Neal flushed. "Why are you so persistent about this?" He asked meekly, his hand scratched at the new growth of his facial hair, it had been years since he'd gone so long without shaving, in a mechanical fashion.

"My boy, I've made a lot of mistakes in my abnormally long life. Along the way, though, I've learned lessons to go with them. Next to losing you, when I thought that I would never see Belle again, were the worst moments I've ever had. My greatest advice for you, Bae, is that when you know what your happy ending is, and who it's with, chase it. You must go after it with all that you have and, when you have it, never let it go." Rumple sighed, if there was anyone he should be able to pour his heart out to, it was his son. "I've been happy so many times, with Belle, with Henry, even with your mother."

It took Neal a second to digest that part of it, he had never really known much about his mother other than what Killian had told him as a boy, and the recent understanding that she had been killed by his father after a terrible deception. From what Neal understood, his two birth parents had a horrible relationship and an even worse marriage, it was absurd to hear Rumple say he had been happy with her at one point.

Neal had gotten lost in his train of thought, and returned just in time to hear Rumple fully say,

"The most amazing, beautiful, and sincere happiness I've ever pushed away... Was you." Neal noticed Rumple wipe at a tear duct from the corner of his eye. He tried to keep his eyes on the road, but it was hard. "I know I did something unforgivable to you." Rumple muttered, "and I'll never forgive myself for it, I was-am- a monster and I am going to regret it for forever." 

Neal took one hand of the steering, and grasped Rumple's hand. He felt the years of wisdom, of guilt, of hate and regret, age in his father's flesh. "You may not think it, you're not a monster though." 

Rumple smiled, Belle had always told them that, to hear the words come out of his son's mouth was amazing."

"Oh, and I forgive you... For everything." Something within his hear seemed to well up and he was sure it had to be glowing. 

"Thank you." Rumple said, hardly audible. 

Several moments passed, then Rumple spoke again, his tone as chipper as he could make it, and full of honesty. 

"You love Miss Swan, Bae, and she adores you. You two created my grandson together, you've been through way more than anyone should ever have to go though-both of you. You're a great couple, and Miss Swan is a lovely lady."

"You really think so?" Neal wasn't surprised, just hopeful.

"I do." Rumple remembered some of the friendly, and not-so-friendly, conversations and banters he had shared with Emma. "Don't tell her I said that, though."

Neal got his father's joke, but was too wrapped up in the main point he was getting at to laugh very much. His quietness prompted Rumple to continue on.

"Anyways, Miss Swan and you are a beautiful couple. I wish I could give Belle a quarter of what you give to Miss Swan. I know you love her, I know she's your true love, and I know that you want her to be yours forever more than anything." Neal licked his lips nervously, "Bae, I would be honored to call Miss Swan my daughter-in-law, and she shall be treated as my own daughter once she weds you." 

Neal just took in all that had been said for about a minute, before making a firm turn on another highway. 

"This isn't the way to Maine." Rumple informed, not exactly nervous, but apprehensive to say a bit. 

"No, it's the way to a really nice mall. There's got to be a jeweler in there some place."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:  
The time in the jeweler store only killed about forty minutes or so, most of which was spent trying to shoo off annoying salespeople. 

There had been so many rings to choose from, and they all looked so alike to Neal. He knew Emma wasn't into the fancy stuff, so he had decided to look at the simpler rings- which pretty much all consisted of a band with a diamond in the center.

Rumple had been insistent that he could make a gold ring of more value than any of the bands in the store. Neal had countered with that he was certain he could, but Emma was more the type to wear a silver ring, gold was what you exchanged your wedding day.

Eventually, Neal had walked out of the store with a pretty silver band with a sparkling 2 karat diamond in the center. The ring was concealed in a silk box of baby blue, and carefully tucked in his pants pocket.

Rumple had bought something in the store as well. Not worth as much as the ring Neal had gotten, but a smaller diamond ring. It was one of the cheaper available, and all Rumple wanted to do was apologize to Belle with it- to apologize for all his mistakes and to ask her to remarry him. 

The remainder of the day was pretty uneventful and they drove straight to Maine, minus a couple more stops for gas and quick food from convenient stores, without any issues or detours.

While it had been nice to talk, to spend time together, and to really have this one-on-one time had been a blessing to both men, but they were equally excited to get home to their other loved ones. 

"Maybe we could take Henry there." Neal offered after a lull in conversation. 

"New York?" Rumple scoffed.

"You're right." Neal felt his nose scrunch up just thinking about it, "I wouldn't care if we ever went there again."

"Nor would I." 

"What I mean is, maybe the three of us could go on a 'guys' retreat' or something someday?"

"I'd like that." Rumple agreed, "I treasure our relationship, and I want to have one to cherish with my grandson too. I just don't know if Miss Swan would like her son-"

"He's my son too, Papa, and I say it's fine for him to have a relationship with you. Henry needs all the people to love him he can get, and you're a good man. You were a great papa... Before all of... That... And you'll be a great grandfather, you already are."

Rumple beamed with happiness, pure and untainted, it meant so much that his son thought he was a good grandpa.

"Papa,"

"Yeah?"

"Another thing, she's going to be your daughter-in-law, and you said she'd be treated as your own daughter, you can call Emma by her first name from now on. It would probably be a bit more comfortable for us all." 

Rumple's smile grew a little more, the sides cracked.

Once they reached the town line, Neal put the car in park and pulled out his cell to call Belle to let them back in town.

"How's Belle?" Rumple asked shortly after Neal had hung up with her.

"She's fine... She sounded excited." Hopefully that would ease his father's mind, Neal was sure he could hear Rumple's extreme tachycardia from his own seat. "Calm down, Papa, it'll be okay." 

"I'm just worried. Do you think she would truly take me back? After all I've done to her, do you really think she could forgive me?"

Neal turned to Rumple, and obtained firm eye contact with him, "Papa, if I could forgive you, anyone could of anything." Neal hadn't gotten reaction he had hoped for, but it did seem to ease Rumple's anxiety a little more than it had been. "Belle loves you, Papa, she hated herself for casting you out. She's going to be okay." 

"Do you think she would really remarry me?"

"Yes." Neal was able to see how that calmed Rumple immediately, "she married you once, you know Belle, and I'm pretty sure she'd do it again. She knows you, and she truly loves you. Papa, you don't have anything to fear about your love for Belle and her love for you." 

"Are you nervous about proposing to Miss-Emma?" 

Neal had to think a second, "I'm not nervous, just scared and happy." It seemed odd for those two words to be in the same sentence. "I love Henry and Emma and I have wanted us to be a family forever. I'm just worried and afraid that I won't make a good husband or dad, that in not going to be the man Emma deserves as her husband or the guy Henry deserves for a father." 

"Those feelings are completely normal." Rumple assured, "you need to let them go, which is easier said than done." 

"You're telling me." Neal breathed, his stomach went fluttery. With each second that passed, Belle was nearer to them, nearer to letting them in. That meant, Neal kept getting pulled nearer and nearer to the moment he'd propose. "I try to be a good dad, I feel like I failed him though. I wasn't around the first ten years of his life, I didn't know, if I would've I-"

"You didn't know, Bae." Rumple touched his son's arm gently, "and that's okay. If you had known, I know you would've been right there all along, no matter what. Henry knows that too, I'm certain of it." A comfortable silence hung for a few seconds before Rumple muttered, "I wish I could be a quarter of the father you are."

"Don't cut yourself short." Neal responded quickly, "you're a great dad, and no matter what's gone on between us, I'm happy that we've been able to rebuild a relationship and I am truly thankful that you're my father. You taught me what I know..." 

"Thanks." Rumple accepted the comment as one of the highest praises he could imagine. He opened his mouth, as though to speak again, and the cell phone cut him off.

Neal scrambled for the phone in the cup holder, and answered quickly.

The moment the scroll was thrown over the town line, both men's hearts leaped and the world seemed to stop spinning. Finally, the time was here. The time to go home, the time to apologize, to forgive, to embrace, to begin the rest of their lives. 

"I'll get it,"Neal offered, "rest your leg." He was aware that his father's leg had been a nuisance to him the whole time they'd been outside of Storybrooke, however, it had been really bad the past few hours. "In a minute, it'll be all better." 

When Neal bent to retrieve the scroll from the slightly damp paved road, he felt like he had the most powerful item ever in his hand. Was this how his dad had felt when he had someone's heart in his hand? Wow, that was a thought someone should never have to process in their lifetime. 

"Hold this." Neal tossed the scroll into Rumple's lap, got in the driver's seat again, and practically slammed his foot on the gas. 

It was a weird sensation, the milliseconds it took to cross the town line. No matter how often he did it, Neal was sure he'd never get used to it. His body went numb, a sense of peace washed through his entire body, he momentarily forgot all his worries and stressors, it was a second of pure serenity. 

The sight at the town line once they crossed into Storybrooke was the most lovely they had ever seen together. Waiting for them in a line were Henry, Belle, and Emma. All of them wore huge grins, and the women had tears in their ducts. 

As soon as he processed it all, Neal turned the car off, and practically jumped out of the car. Within seconds, he had his arm around Emma and the other around Henry in a tight hug. "I've missed you both so much!" Neal knew he had faint tears starting to spill, but he didn't care. He nuzzled his head into Emma's neck and ruffled Henry's hair.

"We've missed you too." His loves cried, and kept their grip on him strong. 

"Belle," Rumple walked up to her, cautious, waiting to see what he reaction to him would be. "I'm really sorry, I know what I did was horrible and-"

"Save it." She hushed firmly, Rumple wasn't sure how to take her monotony. Then, Belle approached him with her open arms. Before he knew it, he had enveloped Belle in a hug at her initiation. "We can talk about that later, right now, I'm just so glad you're okay." She pressed her head against Rumple's chest. "I'm the one who needs to apologize too," Belle said when she pulled away, "I shouldn't have banished you or even thought to use your dagger against you. I felt like a monster as soon as it happened, and I know it's something that I shouldn't have done and-"

"It's okay." Rumple's thumb delicately wiped away Belle's unshakable tears, "I deserved it." 

She smiled, "we'll find a way to separate you from the dagger."

"I know." Rumple nodded, unwilling to let go of her waist. "Oh, and Belle... You're not a monster." A surge shot through both of them, there was no question they were both remembering the first time she had said that to him.

"Thank you." She replied shyly. After a couple of seconds, Rumple fished the box out of his pocket and opened it towards Belle. "Belle, I want to be a better man for you, I love you. Would you marry me again?"

Belle smiled and her eyes froze on the ring, then darted to Rumple's face abruptly. "Yes-of course!" Again, she found that she flung herself at Rumple, and had wrapped herself around him. 

"Thank you!" Rumple was so relieved, "I promise no more lies, no more secrets, I'll be the man you deserve." Rumple muttered into her neck. "I love you so much, Belle."

"And I love you too, Rumple."

Neal hadn't wanted to let go of his family, and had just enjoyed being close to them and taking in their scents, thankful he'd made it home.

When the hug finally broke, Emma was back to business. "Next time you and your dad decide to take a little holiday, you better tell me first! Neal, I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know what you were taking about I was so worried!"

"I know, Em, I apologize." Neal pushed a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. "It was just a spur of the moment thing, and I didn't think, and I couldn't just leave my dad." 

Emma's eyes drank in his face, and she crossed her limbs over her waist, red jacket tightening. "You're a good man, Neal. I'm lucky to have you as a boyfriend." 

"You mean that?" Neal was astonished that she had actually just said that, Emma felt lucky to have him? He was beyond lucky to have her.

"I do." Emma answered, she reached up and ran some of his hair through her fingers. There wasn't a question that each of them were wishing this moment could last forever.

This was it, it had to be done now! He had the courage, the timing, and Neal was sure the words would find their way. Dutifully, Neal knelt to the ground in front of Emma and Henry. Henry smilies wider than he had been previously, he knew what was going on. An array of emotions flooded Emma's features, the most noticeable would've been surprise and pure ecstasy."

"Emma Swan," Neal began, his voice quivering from the nerves, "I love you. I've loved you pretty much from the moment I met you and, as we've weathered time and obstacles, that love has only increased and gotten stronger. We've been separated, broken up, torn, used, twisted, bent in every way... But my love for you has never wavered, nor has it for my son. I love you both more than anything else in the universe, and I want to make sure that we are never ever separated again. I want to know that whatever this crazy life throws at us, we'll face it together as a family. You're the most gorgeous and smartest woman I've ever met, and I know how lucky I am to get to call you mine. I never want to give that up... I guess what I'm trying to say is... Emma Swan, will you marry me?" Neal looked up, he hadn't even attempted to cover his fear.

"Yes!" Emma practically tackled Neal, and the ring box went flying out of his hands. Emma planted many sweet kisses all over his face, and just squeezed him as tight as she could. Eventually, both adults got to their feet, and Henry bounced back to them.

"Dad, here's the ring." Henry handed it to him. Neal retrieved it, his hands shaking from his excitement. "Thanks." He slid the ring on Emma's ring finger on her left hand. It was a perfect fit. 

"I love you Neal." Emma stared up into his eyes, before leaning in for a kiss. 

"I love you too Emma," Neal answered once the kiss broke. He couldn't hide his excitement, "we're going to get married!" He shook their intertwined hands excitedly.

"I love you both!" Henry blurted in there. Both of his parents smile and said in unison,

"We love you too kid." 

"Congratulations," a duo of Scottish and Australian accents spoke. 

"Thank you," Neal, Emma, and Henry turned and said at the same time. 

Rumple and Belle came in and wrapped the soon to be "Cassidy Family" in a hug. There were many kisses and 'I love yous' given out from everyone and to everyone. It was truly the happiest moment any of them had had in a long while. When everyone had tired of the hug, Neal broke it and declared, 

"What do you say we all go get something to eat from Granny's? I'm really craving some lasagna tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! This is the final chapter of this fic!!! I am very happy to have finally finished this, and I think I am happy with how it turned out. I hope you all enjoyed it as well, especially annivh- whom this was written for. It has been fun!
> 
> PS. I miss Neal very much and things have been practically BEGGING for Neal to be on the show in canon this season. This was so much fun to write, and I've gotten so many ideas for if Neal were in Hook's place in season 5a.
> 
> Keep watch! Around the end of this month I should be starting my season 5a rewrite with Neal! Thank you all!


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